Trading Postcards for Plot Twists: My Holiday Experiment in Mindfulness and Exploring Genres

As I step away from the everyday and into the quiet rhythm of a much-needed retreat, I’m not just packing a suitcase; I’m accepting a challenge. This trip is more than a simple vacation; it’s an experiment in radical presence and a deep dive into the transformative power of story.

For the duration of my time away, I’m trading the traditional travel diary for something far more engaging: a daily blog post written as a short story. Each day, I will be looking for the spark—a fleeting moment, a chance encounter, a curious detail—that ignites a narrative. This is my commitment to mindfulness, to awareness: to be so fully present in the moment that I can pluck a story from the air, a story that captures the essence of that day.

The Plot-Twist Challenge

The true test, however, lies in the structure of this daily diary. Every single story will be written in a different literary genre. One day, a quiet moment of reflection might become a piece of Literary Fiction. The next, a simple misunderstanding could spiral into a Psychological Thriller. A conversation with a local might inspire a tale of Magical Realism, and a long walk could be framed as an Action/Adventure.

This is more than a creative exercise; it’s a way to force my perspective to shift daily. By viewing the world through the lens of a new genre, I am compelled to notice details I would otherwise miss—the subtle suspense in a crowded market, the gothic undertones of an ancient building, the science-fiction potential in a new technology. It’s a powerful tool for recalibrating the inner compass and seeing familiar challenges with fresh eyes.

The Heart of the Story: Crossroads, Challenges and Change

The central theme of this series is inspired by the very reason many of us seek out travel: to find clarity during a time of major life change. Each story will feature a protagonist who, like many of us, is standing at a crossroads—facing burnout, navigating a difficult loss, contemplating a career pivot, or simply feeling the weight of an empty nest. And in every story, their holiday, their journey, becomes the catalyst for their breakthrough.

This theme is deeply personal to me, and it is the foundation of the work I do at the Camino de Santiago Crossroads Retreats. We know that sometimes, the only way to move forward is to grant yourself a “purposeful pause.” It’s in the quiet, rhythmic act of walking, in the supportive community of a storytelling circle, and in the non-judgmental space of a beautiful setting that we find the strength to rewrite our own life stories.

I invite you to follow along as I embark on this journey of creative mindfulness. Let’s see what stories the road has to tell, and how a little genre-bending can illuminate the path forward.

Mindfully yours,

Margaretha